HICKORY, N.C.,None — An observant hotel clerk called in a robbery in progress in time for Hickory police to capture both suspects Saturday morning.
The Jameson Inn clerk reported seeing three people acting strangely near a car just before 6 a.m. Within seconds, two of the men left in a van.
It turned out that the third man was the victim and the clerk had witnessed a strong-arm robbery. The victim later told officers that one of the men had choked him while the other took his wallet out of his pocket.
Within minutes of the call, Sgt. Philip Demas, of the Hickory Police Department, spotted a vehicle matching the description the clerk provided. The van was on U.S. 70 near the Catawba Furniture Mall less than two miles from the Jameson Inn.
As he pulled the van over, the men inside threw the victim's wallet out of the van, according to the police report.
The van's occupants: Shane Lee Huffman, 33, and Joe William McVickers, 33, both of Catawba, were arrested and charged with common law robbery.
McVickers was also charged with driving while license revoked, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of Schedule IV controlled substances. His bond was set at $11,000 secured.
Huffman's bond was set at $8,000 secured.
Officers found the wallet and discovered that its owner was staying at the Jameson Inn. They went to his door and knocked announcing that they were police officers and they had his wallet. The victim ignored their knocks and refused to answer the door.
He later came to the Hickory Police Department to collect his wallet. He told officers that he hadn't opened his hotel door because he was too afraid, said Lt. Jeff Young.
Further investigation revealed that McVickers and Huffman had gone to the Jameson Inn after stopping by the Quality Inn nearby where they'd acted suspiciously and had asked the clerk several suspicious questions, according to the police report.